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Wonderful insight, Silly!

I've often pointed friends to Psalms as a way of getting to know who God is, but in the last ten days or so, circumstances have changed.

I've had several friends dealing with such anguish in their lives, and wondering if they're freaks for feeling such despair, and for despairing that God is even around at all. On each occasion, I've been able to point to the longing and emotion with which David and others have written there... the doubt ("How long or Lord?"), the despair ("I am weary with sighing, Every night I make my bed swim, I dissolve my couch with my tears"). Through them, I've been able to point out that God truly understands what they're going through and has compassion for them.

God truly meets us where we live, and He understands even when we cry "WHY, GOD?" I'm also reminded of Isaiah's prophesy of Jesus, that He is a man aquainted with our sorrows. He knows what it's like to be misunderstood, to lose a friend, to be betrayed. And He loves and embraces and heals.

Thanks for such a good reminder.

While enduring suffering, remember that while in fellowship with Him, for every cursing there is a blessing. Most of all do not allow the temptation to avoid adversity remove you from fellowship with Him. That would only turn a blessing into a cursing.

Be thankful for the testing, for as we persevere our rewards in heaven being handled by our Lord and Savior will be met with good favor and rewarded us when the bride joins the groom.

If we lack the power to influence events, place faith in Him and let Him handle the situation, Thank You Lord. If we are tied up, facing a beheading by Muslim extremists, with no allies nearby, Thank You Lord. If we face being mutilated and loss of everything we own without recourse, Thank You Lord. Nothing can remove us from the love of God and our fellowship with Him through faith in Christ.